


Rumors

by WolfAndHound_Archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Marauders' Era, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-18 15:22:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5933167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfAndHound_Archivist/pseuds/WolfAndHound_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lily helps Sirius coping with rumors</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rumors

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Lassenia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Wolf and Hound](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Wolf_and_Hound), which was created to make stories posted to the Sirius_Black_and_Remus_Lupin Yahoo! mailing list easier to find. However, even though I still love the fandom, I am no longer active in it and do not have the time to maintain it. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in December 2015. I posted an announcement with Open Doors, but we may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on the [Wolf and Hound collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/wolfandhound/profile).

Sirius sighed. People didn't see him as anything more than a pretty face anymore. Sirius the Slut, they called him, sniggering both to his face and behind his back. Damn Malfoy and the rumors. Honestly, it should have been a man scorned. Still, people knew him and everything would blow over. Eventually, at least.

For now he acted like he didn't care. He pretended not to hear the malicious whisperings that threaded their ways through the halls. He almost believed he would no longer see the disgusted look that superimposed itself on people's faces when they heard the latest rumors. Sometimes, reality and his imaginings and all the layers in between built up thick, like paint on a canvas. It was then that he needed escape and release. So Sirius would run till he left both worlds behind and all that was left was himself. The part the others had never come close enough to see. The part that was even more obscured by Slytherin fairy tales.

Sirius had outrun taunts and childish names and reached the forest. He was on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, a section that fell short of being prohibited. It was still far enough that the idea of going there would give most students a panic attack. The forest was beautiful. It held no expectations and said nothing cruel. The wind tickled the trees softly, and the leaves giggled at the slight touches. It was early enough in the year that the trees still held vestiges of summer's fresh look. One who knew the forest would notice the slight changes in color that indicated fall's approach.

The animals went about their business quietly. If Sirius sat very still he could see some of the more unusual animals the forest held. He recognized few of them, as he refused to take what he called 'that dumb animal-lover's course.' Sirius believed that only slackers took a 'petting-zoo course' when they could be taking Arithmancy, his personal favorite.

Leaves, fallen in years past, rustled and twigs cracked warning Sirius that someone was coming. He didn't flinch instead he sat as he was, unconcerned. He knew of few people brave enough to come here and of those, only his most trusted friends knew where to come. Slowly he raised his head from his hands, as if he had to fight gravity to lift it.

"Lils," he pronounced flatly. "How does it feel, being best friends with Hogwarts' busiest boy toy?"

She stood in silence. He grimaced at her stubbornness, as he reluctantly patted the mossy log he was sitting upon. Lily kicked the log, making sure it would be up to her weight. She sat down without a care for her robes.

"Si, don't look so glum. The tales will peter out. They're all gits. And it isn't true. It was all them, you didn't do that with . . . "

Lily jumped when Sirius pounded the log, cutting her off. "That's half the problem. If I have to have such a God awful reputation as the boy who'll shag anyone, or thing, at least I could have done something more."

Lily remained silent as Sirius began to pace the clearing. Her eyes followed him. She waited for him to speak when she saw him smirk.

"Even your white knight, Jamesie, is starting to believe the rumors."

Lily rolled her eyes, as Sirius snorted his approval for his own joke. Ever since James had tried to save her from talking to Si, he'd been calling James the white knight. James approved of being considered the opposite of 'that fag, Black', all though he wasn't pleased to be called Lily's knight. She was a little plump for his tastes.

Sirius continued in dramatic tones, "Remus prolly hasn't even heard the rumors. He's always buried in some stupid book."

Lily coughed mildly, as she fiddled with the book in her lap. It was what she considered a comfort novel, Little Men. Of course, Remus tended to prefer non-fiction, but a book was a book.

"Sorry Lils, didn't intend to offend

"All is forgiven," she replied. For someone who was so sure of his instincts, Sirius could be a poor judge of people. The people he dated, who had besmirched his character until it was as black as his name. He misjudged Remus, too. He thought Remus didn't know what was going on. Remus, who knew Hogwarts and its secrets nearly as well as Dumbledore did. Remus, who, unnoticed by many, always listened to the stories about Sirius. She wondered . . . but at that moment, Sirius continued, and he was her main focus.

"Wait till you hear this one. It is the best part. Peter, my favorite dorm-mate," he began sarcastically, "is attempting to put wards around his bed.

"The dunce is going about it all wrong of course..." Sirius trailed off in disgust.

In her head, Lily laughed. Sirius understood things in flashes of intuition and had no patience for those who needed to work. It was no wonder he couldn't get along with plodding Peter.

Sirius abandoned his tangent thought. "Peter is afraid I find him sexy. Him, sexy- the words shouldn't be spoken with the same breath." Lily giggled at the thought of Sirius mooning after Peter. "Maybe he just wants you to find him sexy."

Sirius fell back into a fake swoon. "Perish the thought. I'd like you before Peter."

"Thanks for the insult!" Lily exclaimed mockingly.

"Nothing personal, Lils. Fine, I'd take Snape first."

She shivered and stood up, rubbing her arms as if to try and warm them. Lily shook her head lightly.

"Snape? Ugh. I don't think I could find a guy I'd be less likely to date. At least Peter is nice," she concluded, and then shivered again. She felt as if a goose had walked over her grave.

"At least Snape has two brain cells to rub together, which is more than I can say for Peter."

"I guess I have to give you that point."

Sirius licked his finger and chalked a point for himself in the air. Then he intoned in an announcer's voice, "Sirius, 1: Lily, 0."

Lily stomped her foot. "I know someone better for you than Snape."

"Who?" asked Sirius, his curious mind working overtime to figure out who she was referring to. Lily was a good judge of character and he trusted her.

She crossed her arms over her chest, thinking of how angry Remus would get if she said anything to Sirius. He stop speaking again and she didn't think she could stand to alienate her friend. "Not telling."

"Fine. Then..." Sirius crept towards her and stuck out his hand, "You're it."

"Not fair!" she complained before running after him.

They ran, gaining on one another and switching places. They made it past a smiling Dumbledore who was restraining Professor McGonagall. They passed a shocked Peter, who disappointedly decided Sirius must like girls after all. James refrained from calling a prefect over to deduct points from the two blurs, if only because if he did, Gryffindor would loose the points he had won them in the last quidditch match. Remus watched Sirius wistfully. Sirius and Lily made it uninterrupted to the common room, where he attempted to tickle the information out of her.

Lily had been right. The rumormongers turned out to be sleeping around. The grapevine bit them in the butt when they were caught next month and the rumors about Sirius faded like an old tapestry.

FIN


End file.
